Graduate Studies and Research

MSc Management (Project Management)

Introduction

“Organisations that execute projects successfully employ effective Project Management (PM) practices as a tool to drive change” (Price Waterhouse Coopers’ Third Global Survey of current trends in PM). Ninety-seven percent (97%) of those surveyed agreed that project management is “critical to business performance and organizational success”.

Our project management programme will enable you to take the lead in using effective project management approaches, tools and techniques to successfully execute projects. The programme will deliver current, comprehensive and competitive online project management education, based on global standards for best practices.

About the Programe

The Master of Science in Management (Project Management) is a fully online programme that delivers current and comprehensive project management education based on global standards for best practices.

Who is this programme for?

The programme seeks to target persons who are interested in working in the area of project management. This would include persons who are engaged in areas such as:

Engineering

Architecture

Management

Graduates of the BSc Management programme wishing to specialize in project management

The MSc Management (Project Management) will be offered for a minimum of twenty-four (24) months full-time and a minimum of thirty-six (36) months part-time (2 Years and 2 Semesters). Students who meet the criterion for full-time registration are required to complete a maximum of 3 courses per Semester and 2 in the Summer. Students who are registered as part-time, are required to take 2 courses per Semester and 1 in the Summer.

The UWI Regulation for Graduate Registration

In accordance with The UWI Graduate Regulations, “Full-time students may take employment for not more than twelve hours per week without losing their full-time status otherwise they shall be registered as part-time. However, research students who hold Teaching or Research Assistantships in the area of their research programmes may be registered as full-time students, provided that their employment commitment does not exceed twenty hours per week” (Graduate Regulation 1.46).

Delivery Mode

The programme is delivered fully online.
All new graduate students are required to do the Graduate Introduction to Online Learning before starting the programme.

When will the programme start?

This offering of the programme begins in August 2016.

Entry Requirements

An undergraduate degree (at least a Lower Second Class or its equivalent) from an approved tertiary institution

Holders of the postgraduate Diploma in Management Studies may transition into the programme as per Board for Graduate Studies and Research Regulations.

Academic Preparation

Course of Study

Level 1

MGMT6205

Sustainable Financial Management

This course provides students with the knowledge to be financially literate and to interface confidently with the finance function in order to achieve the company’s strategic plans. With sustainability as a cross cutting theme, students are introduced to the main topics in accounting and finance that impact on the strategic decisions that are made in organisations on a daily basis. Through the use of case studies and projects, students gain hands-on experience in the strategic deployment of financial literacy by managers.

Credits:

4

MGMT 6202

Management Essentials I

This course covers a wide range of topics such as: what managers do; the process of management; the practices of management (e.g. leadership and motivation); the functions of management; strategic management. There will be emphasis on the current organizational environment and how globalization and technology affect the processes and practices of management and the functions of businesses.

Credits:

3

MGMT 6019

Critical Analytical and Communication Skills for Managers

This course will guide students through a range of successful practices and guidelines based on research and experience, that will give them the opportunity to develop, practice and strengthen their communication (oral and written) and critical thinking skills. Students will also analyse and interpret data in meaningful ways for reporting in academic and work applications.

Credits:

3

MGMT6900

Research Paper OR Practicum

This course normally follows the completion of the taught courses. Students will work on a significant field-based project, which will be designed and completed under faculty guidelines and supervision. During fieldwork, students are required to investigate aspects of their projects that demonstrate competence in the use of skills acquired during the taught element of their programme.

Credits:

3

-

Project Analysis and Decision-Making with IT/MIS Tools

Students will be introduced to essential quantitative methodologies and applications in various project management software tools that enable students to schedule and cost out large projects, and to determine when and how it may be possible to make “best practice” changes that will improve project performance.

-

Project Governance, Values and Ethics

This course will examine different corporate and project governance systems, and through use of real cases and discussions at the international and local level, analyze complex situations, ethical dilemmas, and difficult decisions that can be traced back to the governance structure of the organization, the project, or both.

-

Project Control/Monitoring and Closing Domain

This course is quantitative in focus. Students will manually experiment with crashing, fast-tracking, and adjusting scope to improve project performance. They will also examine issues in assessing change requests, making recommendations and monitoring the change approval process, monitoring subcontracts and contracts, and facilitating stakeholder engagement.

-

Project Execution Domain

The interpersonal knowledge and skills needed to effectively direct and manage project work will be addressed in this course. On the “people” side of the project, it will cover the theory and frameworks for leading, since project leadership is different from managing day-to-day operations. On the Deliverables side of the Domain, the topics will include conducting procurements, performing Quality Assurance, facilitating process improvement efforts, & reporting on quality metrics; implementing approved changes, and implementing risk responses.

-

Project Planning Domain

This course will cover the following critical technical planning topics: collecting requirements; developing a detailed Scope & Work Breakdown Structure; sequencing & estimating Activity Durations using various estimating techniques; scheduling manually using the Critical Path Methodology (CPM); developing an HR staffing plan; using a RACI Chart for assigning roles and responsibilities; identifying, analyzing & planning responses and reserves for Risk & Opportunity events; planning when and how to carry out procurements and use of Expected Monetary Value to determine build-or-buy; planning quality management and process improvement methods and objectives; optimising & baselining the Scope, Schedule and Budget; compiling the Integrated Project Management Plan and documents.

-

Project Management Framework & Project Initiation Domain

An overview of Project Management Theory, Strategy, Framework & Structure, is the primary focus of this course. It also provides an introduction to the Project Initiation Domain, covering analytical techniques for creating, evaluating and selecting product/service development business cases, assessing high-level project risks, identifying key stakeholders, and developing a project charter for a sponsor’s signoff.

-

Research Paper

This course normally follows the completion of the taught courses. The basic objective of this programme element is to provide the students with an opportunity to gain practical experience with reputable organisations in the Caribbean region or internationally. The project will be applied in nature producing outcomes of use to managers and decision-makers; students will be required to demonstrate understanding of the inter-disciplinary nature of research in the social sciences, and competence in the process of research design.

-

Research Seminar

The course seeks to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to conduct a research project, with specific reference to data collection, data analysis, interpretation of results, and the presentation of research. The course will be delivered in tandem with the Research Paper/Practicum.

With nearly 50 locations across the Caribbean, the UWI Open Campus, assists the University with providing virtual and physical access to accredited programmes, courses and other support services to students wherever they are.